Connected series of heddles



March 8, 1932.

H. D. COLMAN CONNECTED SERIES OF HEDDLES Originai Filed July 16, 1928 INVENTOR Howard D. Colman ATTORN EYS Patented Mar. 8, 1932 mirsu STATES orrlcsf Y HOWARD n. .COLMAN, or ROCKFORD, innnvois, lissieivon 'i'o BARBER- O MAN colu- PANY, or nooizronn, rumors, acoaronarion or rumors I oonuncrnn snares or nnnnnns Original application filed. July 16, 1928,-Seria1 No. 293,059. Divided "and this application filed January 23, 1330. Serial N0. 422,727. V

by the pattern to be woven. In order to facilitate the selection of the heddles, I have conceived the idea of connecting the eyes of the heddles contained within a given harness or heddle frame by means "of a ser1es of chaln stitches so that the whole series may be pulled along to bring successive eyes into or J sl des 9 serve to holdthe bars 4 in proper toward the position where they are to receive the warp threads. The present invention relates to such a connected series of heddles.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure lis a fragmental side elevation of a heddle frame containing a series of heddles connected in accordance with the present invention, the heddles and connecting means being necessarily shown diagrammatically due to the small scale of the drawings.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental view of a connected series of heddles embodying the present invention.

' Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

While the invention may be employed in relation to heddles of various sorts, 1 have herein shown heddles of the type known as Philadelphia steel heddles. The heddle as a whole is designated A. ltco-nsists of a thin strip of steel having at either end an 'elongated opening B by means of which the heddle may be slidably mounted in a heddle frame. Intermediate its ends the heddle is provided with an eye G which stands at a slight angle to the plane of the body of the heddle. Just below the upper opening B and just above the lower opening B the heddle is provided with ofiset portions D, as de scribed in my application Ser. No. 692,645,

filed Feb. 14, 1924, now Patent No. 1,756,814,

dated April 29, 1930.

50 While the heddle frame may partake of various forms, the frameherein shown is similartoflthe one disclosed inmy Patent No. 1,686,078,:dated-,October 2, 1928. Such a frame comprises a wooden top and bottom frame bars 1 and ,2 connected at their ends by metallic bars 3. Mounted inand supported by the end bars'3 are the heddle-supportingbars 4 upon which the heddles A are slidably mounted by means of their eyes Means is provided, tosupportthe bars 4 intermediate their ends, saidineans comprising guide bars 5, one for each of the harness bars 1 and 2.v The guide bars 5 are of approximately thesame length as the bars 1 and2.

On each of the guide bars 5'i's mounted a slide .9 comprising a depending portion 9 having an opening through which theadacent heddle bar 4 extendsslidably. The

position with relation to the bars 1 and 2 when the heddle frame' is, in the loom, but said slides'are freely movable substantially the full length of the heddle frame and thus fere with the operation of the heddle-selectng means associated with the sewing mechanism.

If desired, two or more slides 9 may be employed on each heddle bar 4. or Var1ous forms of sewing mechanism may be employed, as, for example, a mechanism generally similar, to the Willcox & Gibbs single-thread chain-stitch machine, type 500, manufactured under. the .VlllCOX & Noble Patent No. 276,113, the Willcox Patent No.

398,300 and the Borton Patent No. 525,043.

For a disclosure of a sewing mechanism and heddle-handl ng mechanism adapted to the production of y the subject-matter herein claimed, reference may be made to my application Serial No. 293,059, filed July 16, 1928,

The operation of the needle, the feed bar and-Ithe looper is'so timed with reference to jtl1e,heddle-h andling,mechanism that four of which the present application is a division;

stitches S are formed per heddle, adjacent heddle eyes being thus connected together by a series of intervening chain stitches, as shown in Fig. 2. Each side of each heddle eye is enclosed Within a stitch. Two whole stitches intervene between adjacent heddles, there being four stitches from the center of one heddle eye to the center of the next succeeding heddle eye.

After the last heddle has passed the needle, the machine is continued in operation until a series of stitches several inches long has been formed, after which the heddle frame is removed and transported to the warp-drawing machine.

It will be understood by reference to Fig. 2 that the stitches, engaging as they do both sides of the eye, serve as a means of controlling the eye in the positioning of the latter, that the stitches between the heddles connect successive heddles together at approximately equal distances apart, and that the heddles may be disconnected by unraveling the stitches.

I claim as my invention:

1. A series of Philadelphia steel heddles, the eyes of which are stitched together.

2. A series of heddles and a series of chain stitches engaging both sides of each heddle eye. a r

3. A series of heddles and a series of chain stitches engaging successive eyes of the heddles.

4. A series of heddles and a series of chain stitches engaging the eyes of the heddles, there being a plurality of stitches between adjacent heddles.

5. A series of heddles and a flexible connection between the eyes of adjacent heddles, said connections being of approximately uniform length, said connections being attached to both sides of each heddle eye.

6. A series of Philadelphia steel heddles and a flexible connection extending directly between the eyes of adjacent heddles, said connections being of approximately uniform length.

7. The combination of a rigid heddle frame, a number of heddles the ends of which are slidably supported in the heddle frame so that all the heddles may be compactly grouped within the frame, and flexible detachable means for directly connecting the eyes of the heddles in series at approximately equal distances apart when said heddles are moved apart.

8. The combination of a rigid heddle frame, a series of heddles the ends of which are slidably supported in the heddle frame, supplemental means for supporting the series of heddles, said means being slidable lengthwise of the frame so as not to interfere with the compacting of all the heddles, and flexible means for directly connecting the eyes of the heddles in series at approxi 10" .LLL) 

